Opening my eyes to a beautiful silver pair, I fell in love all over again. “That . . . that was wonderful.”

We stayed joined together for what felt like forever, before he pulled out from me, quickly moving from the bed and getting rid of the condom in the nearby bin. Seconds later he was stretched out beside me. We lay there, him on his side, me on my back, staring at each other long after our breathing returned to normal.

A lopsided grin appeared. “You know, that . . . it felt like the first time.” A laugh burst from him as he ducked his head, kissing my shoulder. “That sounds stupid, doesn’t it?”

“No. Not at all.”

“It really did feel like that. I can’t even say my first time felt that good, and I thought I’d discovered the key to life then.”

I laughed as I rolled so I was facing him and my breast pressed against his chest. His eyes flared quicksilver as he rested a hand on my bare hip. Closing my eyes, I anticipated a kiss. I didn’t have to wait long. He nipped at my bottom lip, and I sighed. “It sounds perfect.”

“You know what else sounds great?” He shifted closer, and I felt him against my belly. My eyes widened, and a wicked gleam appeared in his eyes as his body slid against mine. The fine coarse hair teased my skin, adding to the sensualness of nothing being between us.

My breath caught. “Already.”

“I told you I’m always ready when it comes to you.”

“Yeah, but . . . oh!” His hand had wiggled in between my thighs, cupping me.

The grin on his face was pure appeal. “What about you?”

It was like he controlled a switch to my sex drive. It was wonderfully ridiculous. My hips jerked as he snaked a finger inside. “What do you think?”

“I think that catch of your breath means yes.” He kissed my damp temple. “I want you. Again.” His lips then skated over my flushed cheek, capturing my mouth in a deep, searing kiss. “I want in you. Deep.” Withdrawing his hand, he reached behind him, smacked around until he found a condom in the mess of sheets. A moment later he grasped my hips, lifting me into his lap as he rolled onto his back. The deep growl that rumbled through him sent a flood of heat to my core as his tip pressed into me. “I want to go so deep you can never get me out. You want that?”

My lashes drifted down as I whispered, “Yes.”

“Look at me.” His demand was guttural and dangerously seductive. I obeyed without hesitation. His eyes were liquid silver. “God, you’re beautiful like this.” Reaching up, he brushed my hair back over one shoulder and then drew his fingers down to my breast. He cupped me, smoothing a thumb over the hardened tip. “I don’t think I can get enough of this.”

I gripped his shoulders as my toes curled. Inch by slow inch, he guided me down until he’d done just as he’d promised. One thing led to another, and like the first time, it didn’t take much to get either of us to the point we were hovering on the edge of release. Even straddling him didn’t seem to affect my knee; I was too concentrated on the pressure building in my core as I rocked up and down. We plunged into each other, our bodies straining and reaching together until we both shattered into a million pieces, our names a hoarse shout on each other’s lips.

Wrapping his arms around me, Jase drew me tightly to his chest, burying me against him as he jerked against me, running his hand idly up and down my back, tangling in my hair.

I didn’t want to ever move. Not when he turned my head gently and his lips were a hot brand against my neck as he whispered the most powerful words I’d ever known. “I love you.”

Twenty-four

He loved me.

Those whispered words pounded throughout my body, playing over and over again. He loved me. It was like a dream come true, a happily ever after in romance novels. The boy I crushed on for years, the one I loved, loved me in return. And it was the good kind of love, the kind that nurtured and flourished, not hurt and destroyed. The kind of love I saw between my brother and Avery. I no longer had a reason to be envious, because I had that epic love, the Hallmark Channel movie ending.

Hands shaking, I ran them down his sides as the long, lean muscles slowly relaxed and his breathing returned to normal. “I love you too,” I whispered against the side of his neck, smiling into his damp skin.

The arms around my lower back tensed, and then his hands slid to my hips. He lifted me, gently placing me next to him. He kissed my temple. “I’ll be right back.”

Closing my eyes, I sighed as I curled onto my side. Jase disappeared into the bathroom and then on his way back, he turned off the bedroom light. Climbing into the bed behind me, he wrapped his arms around me.

He didn’t speak, and I was okay with that, because he’d said everything that I ever needed to hear from him.

Insides warm and cozy, I drifted off to sleep with what must’ve been a “cat ate an entire cage worth of canaries” type of grin. Jase’s arms and the way his body was tucked around mine provided a lulling warmth that temporarily held the darkness of the weekend at bay.

I don’t know how long I slept and I was sure I didn’t dream, but the warmth that had curled along my back was absent and that was what had pulled me out the contented haze of sleep.

As I blinked my eyes open, my vision slowly adjusted. A pale blue light crept into the shadows crowding the bedroom. I reached over, finding that the spot where Jase had been was empty. Still lethargic, I rolled onto my back.

Jase sat at the corner of the bed, elbows resting against his bent knees. His head was propped between his hands, his bare back hunched.

Concern chased away the lingering sleep. I sat up. “Are you okay?”

He jerked his head up, as if startled out of deep thought. In the low light, his eyes were dark and shadowed. “Yeah, I just . . . there’s something that I forgot to do.”

A little confused, I watched him stand and grab his jeans off the floor. He pulled them up and zipped them, leaving the button open as he turned to me. “I got to run to the frat. There’s some stuff I left there I need for class.”

“Okay.” My brows puckered. “We can leave early if you want and run by there, so you don’t—”

“It’s okay.” He bent quickly, swiping his lips across my cheek, and then he pulled back. “I’ll lock the door behind me so you don’t have to get up. You still have a couple of hours yet to sleep. I’ll pick you up around eight thirty.”

I nodded, feeling suddenly cold inside. “Sure.”

Jase backed away to the door, turned, and then stopped, glancing back at me. I could barely make out his features. “Tess . . .”

Air caught in my throat.

He seemed to lower his chin, and I heard the deep breath he took next. “Thank you for last night.”

Thank you for last night?

I was knocked so speechless that I’d heard the front door open and close before I was even able to open my mouth. He thanked me? Not that there was anything wrong with him thanking me, I guessed, but it seemed like a weird thing to say, especially when hours before he’d said he loved me.

My stomach dipped and then knotted itself right up.

Minutes turned into hours as I sat there in bed, until the pale blue light spread across the floor, chasing away the remnants of night. It’s okay, I told myself. I didn’t need to read anything into his abrupt departure. He said there was stuff he needed for class and that was all.